A renowned poison expert and former Mayo Clinic doctor has been accused of fatally poisoning his wife amid domestic difficulties – allegedly trying to immediately cremate her body while planning to pay out $500,000 in life insurance, according to a criminal complaint.
Dr. Connor Bowman, 30, of Rochester, Minnesota, was charged with second-degree murder in the death of his wife, Betty Bowman, 32, a pharmacist who also worked at the world-renowned hospital, the Rochester Post Bulletin reported.
Betty was admitted to St. Mary at the Mayo Clinic on August 16 with gastrointestinal distress and dehydration, symptoms similar to food poisoning.
His condition worsened – with heart problems, fluid accumulation in his lungs and partial removal of his colon – before he died of organ failure four days later, the outlet said.
Dr. Connor Bowman is charged with second degree murder for allegedly poisoning his wife Betty Bowman. Olmsted County Sheriff’s Office
Connor tried to persuade the Southeast Medical Examiner’s Office not to perform an autopsy and insisted that his wife be cremated immediately, claiming her death was “natural,” according to the criminal complaint.
He also said his wife “doesn’t want to be a corpse” and he asked about the toxicology analysis timeline, CBS News reported.
Connor said in his wife’s obituary that she suffered from the rare disease hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis, or HLH, a disease in which the immune system attacks the body’s organs. The obit said Betty died “of a sudden attack of an autoimmune and infectious disease.”
But she was never diagnosed with the disease and the ME’s Office told Rochester police on Aug. 21 that Betty’s death was suspicious, the Post Bulletin reported.
Bowman was taken to St. Mary at the Mayo Clinic on August 16 and died of organ failure four days later.LinkedIn / Betty Bowman
One of Betty’s friends told investigators that her marriage was falling apart because of infidelity and other issues, and that the couple had separate bank accounts because of Connor’s debts, according to the complaint cited by CBS News.
Connor told his friend that he was ready to collect $500,000 in life insurance, the affidavit reportedly states.
Investigators interviewed a man who had been texting with Betty shortly before her death, according to the outlet.
The night before he was hospitalized, the man told police Betty texted him that she was at the house drinking with Connor. The next morning, she texts him that she’s feeling sick and thinks the smoothie is to blame.
Connor tried to persuade the Southeast Medical Examiner’s Office not to perform an autopsy and have the body cremated immediately.LinkedIn / Connor Bowman
Police obtained a warrant for Connor’s laptop at the University of Kansas – where he worked as a poison expert – and found he had been searching for information about colchicine, a drug used to treat gout that was found in his system after he fell ill.
They also looked at internet searches related to hiding information from police, as well as where to get sodium nitrate, a drug used to block oxygen in the blood, the Post Bulletin reported.
Connor searched and found the lethal dose of colchicine by converting his wife’s weight to kilos and multiplying it by 0.8 – with 0.8 mg/kg considered the lethal amount, KSTP reported, citing the complaint.
He did not have gout, a condition that causes severe pain in the joints, officials said. However, toxicology reports showed it was in his system a day after he was admitted to the hospital.
Conor claimed in his wife’s obituary that she died “of a sudden attack of an autoimmune and infectious disease.” Macken Funeral Home
Connor also reportedly reviewed Betty’s e-health records and at one point placed her on her care team, which allowed him to access her medical records without having to enter her credentials.
He was allegedly looking into whether internet browsing history could be used in court, if law enforcement could track package deliveries and use the “delete amazon data police” query, CBS News reported.
Connor was arrested Friday after the death was ruled a homicide. He was charged with second-degree murder and held on $2 million bail after appearing before a judge in Olmsted County District Court.
One of Betty’s friends told investigators that Conor said he was ready to collect $500,000 in life insurance after his wife’s death. Macken Funeral Home
Police found a receipt for a $450,000 bank deposit at his home.
“We are aware of the recent arrest of a former Mayo Clinic resident unrelated to Mayo Clinic’s responsibilities,” the hospital said in a statement.
“Resident training at the Mayo Clinic ended earlier this month.”
The couple married in 2021 in Independence, Missouri, according to his obituary.
“Her kindness and intelligence were noticed and appreciated by friends and strangers alike,” said an obit about Betty.
“She’s one of those people who is very pleasant to be around and a very good worker to work with,” Jason Herold, who works with Betty at the Mayo Clinic, told the Post Bulletin.
“We were told it was a natural cause. How is that possible?” he added.
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